A question about PLA

Michael Moore · Oct 31, 2014

PLA is one of the materials that is commonly used on the 3D printers, and it can be purchased as filament or as pellets. It looks like the pellets are used for injection molding after being heated. PLA seems to be popular for making "waxes" for investment casting as it will burn out completely.

Is PLA sold as a resin that can be poured into a mold? Or does it have to be melted, and when melted is it so viscous that it has to be injected/extruded?

Google has not yet given me an answer so I thought I'd ask here.

cheers,
Michael

PeteM · Oct 31, 2014

Michael, Far as I know all varieties are solid at room temperature -- they need to be heated to flow. You could probably pour a somewhat conforming blob; but would need pressure to get detail, fill a mold, etc.

If you want to pour into a mold, I'd suggest a two component epoxy or polyester resin that starts out thin. Even there you'd have to watch for air bubbles.

Michael Moore · Oct 31, 2014

Thanks Pete, that is the impression I was getting. A friend is having both PLA and ABS models printed right now and I was thinking that it would be nice if large smooth sheets of the PLA could be bought/made instead of trying to print them. ABS seems readily available but all I've found for PLA has been the pellets and filament; no flats/bars/cylinders seem to be offered in PLA.

FWIW, he located a nearby printer by using

3D Hubs: Local 3D printing services and 3D Printers

which allows a person to load the CAD model up and get bids on printing it.

cheers,
Michael

Trispectiv · Dec 10, 2014

Besides rods or rolled filament, you can also find it as granules, bars and thin sheets (for example eSun).

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